Who are you? Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Emilio Sansolini, I’m an Argentinian/Italian graphic designer currently living and working in Gibraltar.

I was born in Argentina and grew up, went to school and university there having been in Europe during some periods during that time. In the last years, I lived in Liverpool, Barcelona and, now, in Gibraltar.
I have Italian blood as my grandparents were Italians, I’ve worked for an Italian company for the last 6 years.
Football and design have been always my passions, I started to mix them in the last years and I’m really enjoying it!

How long have you been playing FIFA?

I play FIFA since its birth, I guess, I think I got the first one in 1994 and I loved it. Getting my first FIFA game was a big moment in my childhood; it was as good as getting my first football ball!

What is your fondest EA SPORTS FIFA memory?

Many of them, I remember I used to create lots of tournaments myself drawing fixtures in a notebook. Not sure if that feature was not available or it was just an excuse to draw crests, flags and kits… Regarding the game itself I used to laugh a lot when you could escape from the ref running all around the pitch, I also loved the name of the players, that were similar to the real players but not exactly the same, great! Also, FIFA is always a good excuse to spend a good time with friends, playing some tournaments. I remember my friends and me used to sign one of the songs the fans sang in the game (In the first FIFA), we changed the lyrics because we didn’t understand what they were singing…

What is your favourite club and/or player?

I support Independiente, in Argentina. It’s my team since I was born, as my father, grandfather and my brother support and follow them! Independiente won lots of trophies in the past being always an offensive team and spectacular to watch. Things have been very different during the last years but I still always follow them.
Anyway, I follow football in general, I love all European leagues and tournaments. Champions League, Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1.
I love watching Barcelona, I fell in love with the way the play since Guardiola coached the team. In my opinion, they brought the real spirit of the game back, being always offensive, respecting the ball, high pressure trying to get the ball as soon as possible to attack again, simple and beautiful football… Anyway, I also enjoy watching Real Madrid or any team. United and City, Liverpool and Everton, Juve or Inter, no specific colours, I love football in general!
The player that I enjoy watching the most is Lionel Messi. He surprises me every game, you never know what to expect watching him play. He is a genius.
I also really enjoy players like Iniesta, pure class, or Busquets, he is much less spectacular but really smart, he plays simple as he reads the game perfectly. He is fantastic.

What is the inspiration behind your FIFA 17 Ultimate Team kit design(s)?

I tried to design kits that stand out from the usual kits we usually see in the world of football. I guess that FIFA players want to see something different and try always to find original and creative kits. That was my intention and I hope FIFA players like them.

What is your favourite aspect/element of your kit design(s)?

The fact that they are different from the usual kits. When you design a kit for a club you have to respect their identity and history and cannot get too much freedom. In this case, I didn’t have special “rules” to follow and that was great!

Where can people see more of your work?

Twitter
https://twitter.com/EmilioSansolini

Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/EmilioSansolini/

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/emiliosansolini/

And also see more of my work on
Behance
https://www.behance.net/emiliosansolini

or my personal website:
http://emiliosansolini.com/